Rune waited for me, his expression as frosty as the mountain peaks once again. My shoulders tensed in defense, ready for the old Rune to return.
“You’re going to the library, then taking the afternoon off.” His words were flat, but he didn’t appear aggravated.
“Thank you. Are we uh . . . friends?” I probably shouldn’t have been so blunt. Only I wanted to know if I should guard myself around him or if I could speak more freely . . . maybe even talk to him about Nyx.
He pondered on the word “friends,” not answering me right away. My fingers twitched to slam the door and curl up in bed, hiding from the embarrassing assumption that things had changed between us.
“I don’t have many friends. Most people are afraid of me,” he admitted, making me want to press him for more information about himself. Sure, his personality was like a bush of thorns, but he wouldn’t carry me around tenderly or care for me physically if he was pure evil. Even in her mental state, the queen wouldn’t have him as the general of her armies if he was no better than Verin.
Was it his scars that spoke some Fae language that I couldn’t understand? Had his love for Nyx caused tension between the people? I wanted to know.
“Then consider yourself with one more friend. I know I’m a simple human, but I’ve got charisma,” I joked, smiling at him like I hadn’t before. He studied my upturned lips like they were a weapon pointed at him instead of a simple grin. He didn’t speak, and I decided that was enough for me. I limped over to my shoes to slip them on gently and made my way back to Rune.
“Now that we are friends instead of enemies, feel free to divulge all your inner secrets to me. I’ll even let you in for a sleepover where I can braid your black hairs and have a pillow fight.” I’d seen another side of the general and there was no going back. I was going to joke with him. Maybe Dris was right. Prickly on the outside but the inside? Not so much.
He scoffed at my attempt to lighten his mood and walked toward the library. I wasn’t sure if he realized it or did it on purpose, but his gait lacked its normal long stride, and his steps weren’t as hurried. He was slowing himself for me and my injured leg. Turns out a close call with death was all it took to turn Rune from a beast into a man.
Dris waited for me in front of the magnificent library. There were no goodbyes or glances exchanged as Rune walked off and left me with the excited librarian.
Today her hair was a crazy mess of white waves on her head. Her dress was a pale green that ended above her knees, and she was barefoot.
“I’m so glad you’re OK. I heard about what happened, and I was so worried about you. You seem like you have healed for the most part.” She rushed to my side and gave me her arm in case I needed the extra help to walk. I didn’t but accepted her gesture anyway. It was nice having someone genuinely want to be helpful for nothing in return.
“Thanks, I’m OK. It smarts a bit but the salve Rista gave me really helps. I’m glad today is a calmer day.”
The thoughts of training didn’t sound like fun at all today, maybe not even tomorrow. I wasn’t sure Rune would call that off, though. There was probably some form of battle he could teach me in my current state. No day was to be wasted when his princess and Tor’s life was on the line.
“Wonderful! I’ve got a bunch of stuff planned for us today on the table. Did you have anything particular you were curious about? I love questions.” Her gentle features made me feel like I could trust her and tell her everything, maybe even consider her a friend, if we got to know each other more.
“I do have some questions.”
She helped me sit in the wooden chair that I’d been in last time at the same table. There wasn’t anyone in the library again, which made me think it wasn’t a place people came as often as Dris would like them too. All these books were a good thing to have around. Knowledge could be a useful weapon in the upcoming weeks.
She sat in the seat across from me and waited patiently. “OK, shoot. What are your questions?” She viewed this as a game, testing her skills and intelligence.
“Right. I have a few. Is there a catalog somewhere of nature cores in people? Like who has what inside them? And how does it all work with and without magic?”
I didn’t ask who had an onyx core flowing through their body since I was unsure how nature cores in the Fae worked. Was the queen’s heart made up of a diamond or something?
Dris’s eyes sparkled with delight over my thoughtful questions. She leaped into action and went to a bookshelf to the right, then the left. The two books she grabbed were perfectly lined and organized next to each other on the table once she returned.
“There is a book of such things, although it is a tad out of date. We try our best to keep records of births and deaths, but without magic, it has become a little harder. Are you looking for anyone or a core in particular?” She opened a large book that was dusty in the cracks of the leather binding the side. It had a symbol on the front—Crysia’s symbol—with the crystal tree and its roots growing into a sword pointing up. The Fae loved their intricate details, and it was mesmerizing.
“Just kind of everyone. I don’t know many gem names, and I would like to learn about the families.” I didn’t know many names of the precious stones, so this would help me learn about them, while finding out who onyx belonged to.
“And for your other question. I want you to close your eyes.”
I did as she commanded in her sweet tone. My other senses woke up to take over the loss of sight. The library smelled like lemon from the cleaning soap we used to wipe down the floors and the furniture. The sound of the waterfall could be heard in the distance with birds chirping nearby.
“Think of your heart, pumping inside your chest. We Fae have a heart like yours and inside that heart lies our cores, our very essence. Like a light if you will, shining inside us. Mine is a snowy owl core. It’s common in my family tree. Back when magic was alive and prospering, I was able to transform into an owl. It was beautiful flying high over the trees. I still feel it, coursing through my veins, filling me, but I can’t change anymore. None of the Fae who were in their human forms twenty years ago can. Some are still trapped in their animal forms.” Her voice tapered off. That chest guarding my heart ached for her, for the Fae.
She took a breath and continued on, pushing past the pain that weighed heavily on her. “Now depending on the strength of the Fae, and their core or cores . . . yes, I see those wide eyes. There are a very strong few who have two cores. Genetics and fate decide that. There is no way to choose who gets what. Certain cores may stay in the family, but that isn’t always the case.” She gave me a mischievous smile. She enjoyed shocking me with this information. I enjoyed hearing about this world, even though what she was saying was beyond my imagination.
“Back to what I was saying. Depending on the cores and the strength of the Fae, even without their powers or magic, the essence of the core is still inside them. Every life in the world has a vibration, an energy that it creates. And if the core is more toward the animal side, then we take on a similar personality to that of the beasts inside us. Owls are intelligent. They are sharp and keen of sight. They are also suspicious creatures, always watching, looking for danger or prey around them. Same with the gem cores. All gems have certain properties and purposes. Diamonds are the strongest gem in the world. Queen Olyndria is the only person in our history to have been given a diamond core. She is the most powerful in our existence and has lived a long time. Diamonds are known for being the stone of invincibility. They are energy amplifiers and symbols of love and purity. Sometimes when the queen isn’t feeling herself, those around her can feel her emotions, and their own are heightened. It’s a problem only strong Fae have when someone is close enough to touch them. You feel the vibrations and energy from their cores.”
So much information. My head ached from all the details. Then the keen-of-sight, intuitive owl Fae called me out.
“Now for the question you really wanted to ask. Who has an onyx core?”
